The Phantom Rebellion
by AgeofAdvent
Summary: In a dystopian future, a man named Archebald Sirius rises to power, promising to rid the world of ghost types and their malevolent effects. Post Order 67, ghost types are to be exterminated. Those who harbor such pokemon are hunted down and labeled traitors. To counteract such an eventuality, the Phantom Rebellion formed. Those who refuse to let their ghosts die now stand united.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello, dear readers! I'm trying my hand at a new story; I want to see if people would be interested in it. So if you are, please let me know by review! Thanks to any who take the time to read The Phantom Rebellion.

The Phantom Rebellion

Chapter One

I was told things weren't always this way. There was a time when Ghost types and humankind lived in peace with one another. That was before the World Government. That was before President Archebald Sirius rose to power.

The people were panicking. I'm told that there was a great famine—crops refused to grow. People starved. Pokemon died. And with the rising number of deaths, the ghosts appeared. At first, people thought they were the departed spirits of their loved ones, come to say goodbye.

They never left.

As the death count rose, the people were desperate to find something – anything—to blame. It was only natural that someone said the rising numbers of ghost types were an omen, the true cause of the famine. That man was President Sirius.

Sirius rose to power under the banner of ending the world's hunger. Trainers and civilians alike loved him. They trusted him. If he wanted something done, it was done. What he wanted for some, however, was too much. He wanted the extermination of all our Ghost type pokemon. For a time, people rebelled. The idea was too preposterous, too extreme.

That time is over. People began to see the ghosts that haunted their homes and ever increasing graves with dread and suspicion. Some more logically minded people saw them as a threat to the dwindling food supply. In time, what came to be known as Order 67 passed. With it, no trainer was allowed to possess a ghost type pokemon. No human was allowed to shelter ghosts anymore. No more would places be held in tribute to the fallen spirits of the past.

Some trainers went with Sirius's plan willingly. They gave up their ghost types for "humane disposal". Others, Sirius would find, were less inclined to part with their ghostly companions. And so, the Phantom Rebellion was born.

At first, it was a motley crew. A ragtag group of rebels, determined to undermine Sirius's authority. They used Ghosts freely, and attempted rescues whenever possible. It wasn't long until Sirius executed Order 68, the protocol to use at least one dark type on every military squad. The first Phantom Rebellion withered under Sirius's iron fist. Dark types spelled doom for the ghosts that were vying so desperately to cling to their world.

And for a time, there was peace. The extermination continued, but rumors of certain areas' rebellious natures persisted. Kanto's Lavender Town remained steadfast in their sanctuary for all matters ghostly. Hoenn's Mount Pyre saw the signs of the first battle of the second Phantom Rebellion, when President Sirius ordered the execution of its caretakers. Somehow, such places survived the wrath of Archebald Sirius.

Such places were small, but stubborn. They were prepared to lay their lives on the line for their cause, and the world knew it. Sirius knew it. Sirius ordered the extermination to come to a temporary standstill until the rebelling forces were quelled. It was said that thousands of people marched towards Lavender Tower and Mount Pyre alike. Everyone expected a bloodbath, the end of the second Phantom Rebellion.

They were right—half right, at any rate. A new figure, Renegade, rose from the scene, someone behind which all who still held true to the Old Order of Gyms under the Championship. He resisted the idea of a singular government regulating gyms and the distribution of badges. He was what his name suggested: a Renegade. Renegade flew on the back of the legendary ghost, Giratina. The screams of the foot soldiers could be heard all the way to the places they sought to destroy. I was told they fought bravely, but not even a legion of dark types could hold up to the wrath of the renegade pokemon.

It fed on the basest of human emotion. It feasted on the anger, the confusion, the chaos of the time. Every time Giratina flew, a trail of death followed in its wake. This was a pokemon not afraid to defy the god, Arceus. It proved equally as unafraid to take on a world that had forsaken its type.

Under Renegade and his terrifying legendary pokemon, the second Phantom Rebellion fostered. Where it is now, people can only guess.

I'm like many of the people living under the rule of the World Government. Like many, I am a trainer. Where I'm different lies in which pokemon I chose as my partner- my pumkaboo. The world wants to see it gone; I'm determined to not let that happen.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Please Review!

The Phantom Rebellion Chapter Two

For most of us harboring ghost types, a pokeball is a necessity, a way to hide your pokemon in plain sight. Sadly, my Pumpkaboo is not most pokemon. I call him Jack, you know—he looks like a tiny little jack o'lantern. Anyway, Jack and I were born on my parent's farm, where we held Halloween fairs every year. We were a poor family, sometimes too poor to afford daily meals. A luxury like a pokeball was out of the question. Those were the days where only the elite were allowed such commodities. So naturally, when pokeballs do become affordable, what does Jack do?

He turns his nose up at the very idea of it! That little pumpkin of a pokemon took one look at the ball I presented him years back and smashed it. Honestly, he knows what's at stake. He's just a stubborn mule when it comes to anything and everything pokeball related. Dusk ball? Nope. Net ball? Apparently not. Luxury ball? Don't bet on it.

Anyway, that's the state I found myself when fleeing the Kalos region with my best friend, Kai. We both had been caught with ghost types in the country side. With our faces spread all over the Wanted boards, we decided that it was time for a change in scenery.

It was easy enough to find a captain who'd be willing to ferry us across the sea. Even in these days where people can be sentenced for harboring a fugitive, a little money in the right hands does wonders. The captain had us hide in barrels across the Unovan Sea. Most of the time he sent someone over to hand us some food, but there were some days we went hungry.

Still, Kai and I didn't mind it. Anything was better than being a fugitive of Kalos. When it finally came to be that the ship arrived on the shore, we were incredibly dizzy; we hadn't stood properly for weeks. After a short day of recovery, we both set off on our journey. Kai would never let something like land sickness get in the way of his "Ninja Creed."

Oh yeah, Kai is a ninja. I may have forgotten to mention that. Apparently, he comes from a long line of ninjas, but I sometimes find that hard to believe that a person as clumsy as he is can have roots in ninja families. He has black hair—just like mine—and a blue bandana he wears at all times. I've even seen him in the shower with the damn thing on.

Don't ask. It was a traumatic experience for both of us.

We had debarked near a town named Nuvema Town. It was pretty small, lifeless save for the ex professor's house. We're told that she was one of the people who resisted Sirius's rise to power. No one really knows where she is now. Unova has a new professor, someone more in line with what the President wants.

Naturally, Kai and I hate him. His name is Drakkovitch. As if his name weren't bad enough, he has a wicked intolerance of those who have sympathy for ghost users like us. He has a huge grey mustache that droops down into his beard. He's famous for favoring children of government officials. They always get the first choice in starter pokemon.

It was a simple matter to escape his gaze with a slight detour through the forests that surround the quaint little village. Dodging the local pokemon, was a different matter. These days, unless you're dealing with their young, only the toughest of pokemon remain in the forests. They've had to become tough; otherwise they would have died off in the famine like so many others of their kind.

We came out of the forest to find Striaton Town, just across from a cement laden block of people calling themselves Accumula Town. It was here that we decided to stop for the day, finding the prospect of tea and coffee at the local café too enticing. I made sure Jack was safe and secure within my backpack before stepping inside.

The interior was richly decorated with all shades of red, green, and blue, down to the gym leaders' hair. People from all kinds of backgrounds were sipping their drinks at a leisurely pace as they watched trainers challenge the gym.

"Heh. My Shrapnel would've wiped the floor with them," Kai boasted as we saw yet another failed challenge.

"Quiet," I said in a hushed tone. "We don't want any slip ups this time around, you hear? We used up most our cash on bribing the captain."

"Oh don't be so uptight, Saire," Kai said. "It's not like they know he's a—well, you know." I glared at him at the near fumble. Had someone overheard that he had a honedge, it would mean game over for us. No nice little café for us; more like the local jail. It was this kind of fumble that led us to leave Kalos in the first place.

"Hello," a cheery voiced waitress greeted us as she sauntered over. "May I interest you and your little brother with something to drink?" I sighed. Clearly, she was talking to Kai. I may have forgotten to mention one other, tiny little thing.

Despite being seventeen years old, I'm barely 4'10". Everywhere we go, people think I'm a little kid. It gets annoying really fast.

` "Sure thing," Kai said, taking his role of "Big Bro" in stride. "I'll take a caramel mocha."

"Sure thing," she said, scribbling down his order. "And will that be milk for your brother?"

"No," I said with exaggerated patience. "And I'm not his little brother, 'kay? We're the same age. I could order alcohol if I wanted to."

Hey, don't judge. This is a country where they send eleven year olds out armed with a single pokeball to face the world. Have fun out there, kiddos! Just don't get eaten on your first day out. So naturally the drinking age is a little lower than some other places.

"Oh!" The waitress looked genuinely surprised, looking to Kai to see if this was some sort of joke. "Is this true?"

"Yeah," Kai said. "He just happens to be a little sh-"

"Say 'shrimp,'" I said in a low voice, "And I will personally see to it that I use that bandanna of yours as a dishrag.

"Shaggy little guy," Kai finished lamely.

Really? Shaggy? At least I bathe every other day.

"I'm sorry," the waitress said. Somehow, the tone of her voice never changed from someone talking to a little kid. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I'll just take a chai tea," I said. "It's been a long day."

"Is that all?"

A droning 'yes,' and she leaves us to our devices.

"That's what, the third time this week?" Kai could hardly contain his grin.

"Fourth," I grumbled. "You forgot the captain's first mate."

"Right," Kai said. "So what do we do from here? I don't want to spend the rest of our lives roaming from café to café."

"Relax," I told him. "I reserved a small apartment in Castelia City. We'll be just one in a million people there. Plenty enough to blend in with."

"How did you manage to do that?" Kai asked as I slipped a stick of bread in a slit in my bag. Soon, I felt a rasping tongue quickly take it off my hands. Hopefully that'll do for Jack for the rest of the day—our rations are running pretty low. He's small for his kind anyway so he doesn't usually eat that much.

"I have my ways," I said smugly.

The waitress returned with our orders, which we let cool down while discussing our future prospects.

We were enjoying ourselves quite a bit. It was the first time in a while that we'd been able to drink anything other than the same old soup for days on end. In retrospect, it was the first time Jack could have stretched his legs as well. The aromas around the room proved too much for him to resist.

"Pum-ka?"

There was a vast silence in the café as every single head seemed to turn at Jack's outstretched head. Someone screamed.

"Shit!" I quickly tossed the backpack over my head, tossing a tip on the table. Hopefully we wouldn't be needing that for bail soon.

"You had to come out, huh Jack?" Kai panted as soon as we were well clear of Striaton Town.

"Don't say that," I said sharply. "It's the first time in ages that he's been able to walk around. He was hungry, too."

"Let's just hope they aren't making sketches of us," Kai said huffily. "We're running out of regions to run to."

"Believe me," I said, watching Jack joyfully play in the grass around us. "I know."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Hey guys, here with another chapter. I appreciate the support with the favorites and follows, but need your help in gathering more people to the story. With reviews, more people will see it and I get a good idea of what you like and don't like about the story so far. With that in mind, please enjoy the chapter!

The Phantom Rebellion

Chapter Three

After the complete flop that was Striaton town, Kai and I decided to lay low for a little bit. We stayed in the forests, mostly, finding berries where wild pokemon roamed. Most left us alone, but the occasional whirlipede had Kai pull out Shrapnel to spar with.

That's another thing. He never just uses Shrapnel like an ordinary trainer would. He grasps the honedge around the hilt and uses him like a sword. At least the two trust each other; Kai could seriously injure Shrapnel if handled incorrectly and in return, Shrapnel could suck his life force away.

But, as always, the two worked in perfect synchrony. Kai never let honedge get hurt, and in return, honedge let Kai swing him around like a samurai. I just wish I could get the same respect from Jack.

Speaking of which, my pumkaboo seemed to realize his mistake back at the café diner, and was perfectly content to lay low with the rest of us for now. He only ever stirred when it was time for food, and even then it wasn't by much.

"Hey Saire," Kai said after defeating yet another horde of venipede.

"What's up?" I asked.

"How long are we gonna keep running like this?"

I paused, not really sure how to answer. "It won't be forever. President Sirius isn't immortal, after all."

"But what if his policies stand? We could be looking at the rest of our lives in these forests. Even then, we still may be captured."

"That won't happen," I assured him. "If anything, the Phantom Rebellion will put an end to Sirius. You'll see."

Kai was silent for a while. "It just doesn't feel right."

"What?" I asked, annoyed with the ambiguity of his response. "What doesn't feel right?"

"This," he said, gesturing around him. "All these pokemon have a right to be free, free from Sirius and the law. They aren't hunted down and killed just because they happen to be a ghost type. I don't know… Sometimes I feel like doing something about it. Making a difference, y'know?"

"That's dangerous talk," I warned him. "Joining the Phantom Rebellion means certain death. Not only for you, but your entire family as well."

"My family can handle themselves," Kai said. "I doubt Sirius would even be able to find them. As for you, well, what do you have left to lose?"

The comment stung, like an old wound being opened again. "What about _my_ life, huh? I don't think they would like to see me throw it away for the sake of a few revolutionists."

"Your family would be proud to see you doing something about it!" Kai shouted, scaring away some pidove in the trees. "They'd want you to take revenge."

"What do you know," I said angrily. "They're dead. Dead and gone! Jack and I are all that's left; I owe it to him to make sure he's out of harm's way."

"You owe it to Jack to make a world where he can be free again," Kai argued. "This isn't living, this constant game of cat and mouse. This country—this whole damn world needs to change! And you're honestly content to let someone else do that for you?"

"Yes," I retorted angrily. "If it means keeping Jack safe."

"Whatever," Kai said, tossing me a dry stick of this week's rations. "It's your turn to stand guard. I'm off to bed."

I nodded wordlessly, taking my place beside the small campfire we managed to spark into life the hour before.

The night passed without incident. A Simisage and his family of pansages walked past us, but seemed too intimidated by the campfire to do anything. When it was time to wake move on, we did so without a word to each other, a stony silence standing vigil over the words that were said last night.

"Nuvema Town up ahead," Kai said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Think we'll find anything of use there?"

"Not really," I said. "Unless we want to look at a bunch of old fossils."

"Come on," Kai said. "It could be fun."

And so, moments later, we found ourselves at the gate of Nuvema Town. It was an odd little place, full of houses molded from old caravan cars, wooden staircases running up from each house to the next beside it.

"I'll check out the museum," Kai said. "Feel free to explore."

"Fine," I sighed. I knew it was pointless to object; he wouldn't care that such frivolities were beyond the sad state of our dwindling budget.

Instead, I made it a point to look inside those curious looking buildings. Outside, people were shouting at us, asking for us to take a look at their wages.

Naturally, I obliged. Wouldn't want to be rude after all. Especially to that cute girl waving down at me.

"Hi there," the cute girl said in a motherly tone. "Is it alright for you to be separated from your big brother? Won't your parents get worried?" I change my mind. Not cute at all.

"He'll be fine," I say. "I'm sure he'll manage without me."

The girl blinked, confused, but smiled brightly all the same. "Welcome to Anna's Wares! We have all sorts of poke items for your battle needs."

A trainer shop? Interesting.

I asked her what she had for sale. As it turned out, many of her item were actually useful. I took two super potions and a poke doll just to be safe.

"Thanks," I said, pocketing the items away. "These'll come in useful."

"Sure thing," she said. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have your brother's number, would you?"

Why is it that Kai gets all the ladies? Well, being over five feet helps, I guess. But still! Personality over size, that's what I say.

"Here," I hand her his number. "Make sure to call him at night, especially around three in the morning. He loves that sort of thing."

"Alright," she said cheerfully, completely oblivious to the sarcasm in my voice. "I sure will."

Making my way down, I saw Kai at the entrance to the museum, talking excitedly to a group of people. By the looks of it, tourists.

"Hey Saire," Kai called down. "These kind people have agreed to let us stay with them for the night. Isn't that great?"

You mean to be stuffed in one room with a bunch of people I've never even met? Nothing could be better.

"Yeah," I said. "I guess."

"Don't be so glum about it," one of the tourists said. "I'm James, this is my girlfriend, Mai. And this is Andrea and Colbert; they're related, so don't ask if they're dating. They hate that."

"Cool. The name's Saire." I offer out my hand in greeting, which James eagerly accepts.

"This is soooo cool," James says. "Real life nomads! I bet you have all sorts of exciting stories to tell."

Oh, we have some exciting stories all right. The kind that'd likely change your 'cool' opinions about us. Let's just stick to spin the bottle; story time can wait.

And so it was that we stayed the night in a predictably stuffy apartment, when Kai's phone goes off at 3:05 in the morning.

"Who could be calling this late," Kai cursed.

I smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Again, thanks to all who favorite and follow this story, but I'd really appreciate some reviews. Thanks!

The Phantom Rebellion

Chapter Four

Kai's words weighed heavily on my mind the morning after Kai introduced me to the group of sight seers in Nacrene Town. Was it really right for me to sit back and do nothing while others risked their lives for a cause that I had just as much invested in?

And what of Kai? What if he decided to find the mysterious Phantom Rebellion? Where would that leave us?

I rolled over for the fifth time that morning in my sleeping bag. It was true, I had grown used to having human company. Jack was a great partner, but I didn't relish the thought of going back to being alone again.

It was a dilemma, one I was not entirely sure how to solve. As the sun rose to wake the rest of us from slumber, I ended up shrugging the question away. We don't even know where the Rebellion is, let alone how to find it.

I heard a loud yawn from beside me. One of our hosts, Colbert was getting up.

"I'm making some coffee," Colbert grumbled. "Want some?"

"Sure." I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, hands wrapped around the backpack that held my pumkaboo. As soon as Colbert left the room, I pulled out a stick of jerky, quickly feeding it to Jack when no one was looking. The small pumpkaboo nuzzled my hand in appreciation before going still again.

I smiled as I zipped the canvas backpack closed. He may be a stubborn pokemon, but Jack was family. The last I had left.

Colbert returned with a steaming cup in tow. "I hope you like yours black. We haven't got any cream or sugar."

"That's fine." I gratefully accept the mug, blowing on it to make the hot liquid cool down. "So why are you here, anyway? Surely there are cooler places than Nacrene Town to visit."

"Are you kidding me?" Colbert said. "This place is great! It's a tourist attraction all on its own. It's really amazing what the people do with what they have. Their houses are made from old train cars, and let's not even get started on what they did to survive during the Great Famine!"

"Oh?" The topic of the Famine was relatively new to me when it concerned other Regions than Johto, where I had been born. "What happened?"

"Well," Colbert said, "The people here pooled all their resources together and made their museum a huge attraction for the rich— their museum was one of the only remaining sources of entertainment left. They focused everything on it. It was a risky endeavor, choosing not to hunt for food, but their gambit paid off in the end. People all around the world wanted to see Nacrene Town. It was like stepping into a different time for them, one before the Famine."

"Interesting," I said. "That was risky of them. What if no one came?"

"Well," Colbert said, "For one, we would have one less site to visit on our tour."

"Yeah," Andrea said as she, too sat up sleepily. "Not to mention all these people probably wouldn't have survived."

"Does anyone know what caused the Famine?" I asked. "I'm still somewhat uneducated when it comes to the causes behind it all."

"Isn't it obvious," a new voice spoke up, revealing itself to belong to Mai, James's girlfriend as she entered the room. "The ghosts did it. Once we got rid of them, it ended, remember?"

I felt my face grow hard, hoping they wouldn't notice. I kept a firm hand around my backpack, carefully slinging it over my shoulder. "That doesn't mean anything though. Correlation doesn't always mean causation."

"Whatever," Mai said, tossing her bright red hair over her shoulder. "Those monsters took away my brother. I'm glad they're gone."

"But they're not really gone, are they, Sweetie?" James came into the room next, following Mai. "There's that Renegade guy, remember?"

"Oh _him_." Mai's tone of voice grew even colder. "He's just a glorified murderer. I can't wait to see the day someone takes him down."

"Fat chance," Andrea said. "Not as long as he's got that Giratina. Not many pokemon can stand up to a Legendary pokemon that powerful."

"Someone will," Mai said with certainty. "No one can defy Sirius forever."

"He's done pretty well so far," Kai said, entering the discussion. "Whatever your beliefs, you have to respect the guy's ability to resist the World Government."

"Respect him?" Mai said incredulously. "Never. He and those rebels can go rot for all I care. If you ask me, we should have gotten rid of those ghosts a long time ago. Did you know that some even eat people's spirits?" She gave a shudder in disgust.

"I thought that was just propaganda," I said slowly, careful not to cause suspicion. "Surely they don't actually eat people's souls."

"Propoganda or not," Mai said, "A duskull spirited my brother Chad away when I was nine. We never saw him again."

"It's true," James said seriously. "We never found the duskull that did it, but it won't be taking away anyone else's families. Sirius saw to that."

It was hard to for to hold my tongue. Eventfully, I gave Kai a look—he looked like he was on the verge of saying something—and motioned toward the door.

"Well," Kai said, "We must thank you for having us over, but it's time we leave."

"So soon?" James asked. "Why don't you stick with us? We're heading towards Castelia City as well. It's on our Tour. We can do it together."

"I don't know," I said. "We don't have the money to pay you guys back for rent and food."

"Don't worry about that," Mai said cheerfully. "My family's in the government; we have lots of money to share."

"We'll think about it," Kai promised them, following me out the door. "We'll give you our answer in about an hour, okay?"

Cold air met our faces as we stepped outside. Kai and I walked in silence towards an unoccupied clearing.

"Well?" Kai asked. "What do you think?"

"You can't honestly be thinking about going with them," I said incredulously. "You heard them; they hate ghost types. That girl, Mai, is part of the government, even. If we're found out, it could mean the end of us."

"All I'm saying is," Kai said, "It's not for long. Just until we get to Castelia. And I, for one, relish the idea of eating something warm for once. None of this dried berry crap."

"You'd trade our safety for a hot meal," I deadpanned. "What happened to your "Ninja Code of Honor? Have you completely lost it?"

"No," Kai said patiently. "I'm just thinking about saving our budget. Isn't that what you're always getting on to me about? If we follow them, we won't have to pay for an apartment or for camp supplies. When we get to Castelia, we'll have enough with us to make something of ourselves."

I thought it over. "Let's let our pokemon decide."

Kai, surprised initially, agreed. We found a section of the forest uninhabited by humans and let Jack and Shrapnel out. Jack jumped out of the backpack happily, phasing through a few trees as he explored the area around him whereas Shrapnel remained somewhat reserved.

"Come back," I called out. "We need to talk to you."

Jack made his way beside our feet, looking up at us curiously.

"Pumka?"

"Edge?"

"We're thinking of joining that group of people we just met," Kai explained to the two pokemon as they sat beside one another. "It's up to you. We don't want to force anything on you guys."

Shrapnel and Jack shared a look, followed by a quick babble of poke speech. Eventually, they looked at us and nodded in confirmation. It was settled.

We were staying with the group.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Revieeeeeeew. You know you want to.

The Phantom Rebellion

Chapter Five

James was happy about our decision to join his group. The rest were too, I suppose, but he was ecstatic for some reason. He kept going on about "super cool nomad people" and how apparently we were experts at living off the land. Honestly, if we were half as good as he thought we were, we wouldn't be depending on them for food and other supplies on the way to Castelia.

I, on the other hand, was less optimistic. The group, especially Mai, seemed to have a dismissive, sometimes hostile view on ghost type pokemon. What would happen to Jack and Shrapnel if they were found out, I didn't even want to know.

Having packed up and paid for rent, we decided that it was best that we head on to the next destination on the tour.

"So are we adequately prepared for the trip?" Colbert asked nervously.

"Yes," Andrea said impatiently. "For the last time, we've done all that we can. It's just to Pinwheel Forest after all."

"I know," Colbert said. "I just don't want to get caught unprepared."

"Heh," Andrea smirked. "For someone who wants to be a champion, you're pretty timid about this whole thing. Don't you have faith in your pokemon?"

"Of course I do!" Colbert exclaimed. "Drippy and I can do anything together."

Kai made his way across to the center of the town, where the rest of us were gathered. "I couldn't help but overhearing," he said. "Do you really intend to become a Champion?" As an afterthought, he added "And who's Drippy?"

"Drippy's my Goodra," Colbert said proudly. "There's nothing he can't do. We dominated those gym leaders back in Striaton Town. And yeah; that's my dream—to become a Champion.

"Speaking of Striaton," Mai said, "Did you hear what happened a few weeks ago at Café Striaton?"

"I remember," James said. "Some ghost users tried sabotaging the place. Not cool."

"Sabotage?" As much as I didn't want to be a part of this conversation, I was curious as to how they came to that conclusion.

Mai nodded. "Yep. Apparently they were working under the Phantom Rebellion in an attempt to poison the Gym Leaders there. Thank Arceus it didn't work."

"Only because they were caught," Andrea said. "Those kinds of people are dangerous."

Kai and I gave each other furtive looks. How much did they know?

"Did they ever say what they looked like?" I asked. "A sketch or something would be useful."

"Nah," James said dismissively. "They left too fast. 'Sides, you guys don't want to go after people like the Phantom Rebels. Leave that to the police."

"I suppose," I said uneasily, heart beating in my chest. That was close. Had they made a sketch of either of us, it would've meant disaster.

"I'm sure the police will catch them," Kai said smoothly. "Let's just focus on happier things, shall we? We have a forest to explore after all."

It was agreed that, before exploring the more dangerous Wellspring Cave, we would at least visit the famous Challenge Rock.

We made our way to the entrance to the forest, just past the ruins of ancient train tracks. Most the wood had long since rotted away, but the metal stakes still stood, a reminder of a time long since passed.

The forest was a wild place, full of pokemon and trainers alike. In the trees, Unfeazant lorded over nests of pidove eggs while fending off piles of Durant intending on snatching the eggs away. The occasional Durant got close, only to be blown away by a gust and a feral screech.

"Wow," Andrea said. "This place is totally unlike the Towns."

"I know," Mai said in awe. "It's so pretty."

"Just watch out for some of the more vicious pokemon," Colbert warned. "The travel guide here states that the Scolipede here are particularly dangerous."

"Oh don't be such a worry wart," Andrea said. "Let's enjoy ourselves."

"That is the plan," James said. "Come on, Mai and I brought picnic supplies. Maybe we can make room near the challenge stone?"

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Kai said, stomach rumbling. "I'm famished."

"It looks like the Challenge Rock is in an elevated space near some rock cropping," Colbert said, head stuck in the travelogue. "We should be getting close."

We explored a little further, watching people dressed in martial arts garb make their way towards a sloping section of the forest.

"Come on," James said. "It must be that way."

Following the black belt, we found ourselves at the foot of a small staircase, at the top of which appeared to be a massive shining rock.

"Why hello there!" the black belt greeted us. "I suppose you're here to test your mettle against the Challenge rock?"

"Sure are!" James said. "Er, how exactly do we do that?"

The black belt laughed. "It's easy. You just hit it hard enough for a piece to come off."

"We have to hit it?" Mai asked. "Count me out. I just gone my nails done."

"Well of course," the black belt said. "Here, watch." He took a stance, then struck the rock with one of his fists. A sparkling piece fell off.

"Woah," I said, examining the piece. "It's a star piece!"

"Some of the Challenge Rock is," he agreed. "The names Nate. Nice to meet you folks."

"Same here," Colbert said, eyes scrunched in concentration. "So is there a certain place you have to hit it or is it all just raw force?"

"That's up to you my friend," Nate said. "Just do what you think is best. Here, you can have this star piece; I already got mine from my first try."

"That's alright," Colbert said. "We have more than enough money with us."

"That's fine," Nate said. He tossed the star piece my way, where I caught it. "Good catch! I suppose it's yours then."

"Thanks," I said.

"A little spending money never goes in the wrong direction," Nate said happily. "Do you want to give it to your older brother for safekeeping?"

Kai stepped in as I was about to say something. "That's fine. He's really not as young as he looks. Thanks for the rock though."

"Oh? Well, you'd best eat some protein then, son. Helps you grow taller."

"Really?" I asked. "Where? Do you have some?"

"Slow down, slow down." The black belt fetched a small, portable cup, pouring a healthy amount of viscous stew in it. "Pure protein. My own special blend."

I chugged it down. Surprisingly, it didn't taste like liquid sludge. "Thanks!" I made a silent prayer to Arceus that I finally hit my growth spurt. It's coming—it just happens to be a little late, that's all. Yeah…

We invited Nate to join us, where we set up a small picnic composed of various berries and soups.

"Delicious," Nate said. "Now that's what I call a good meal."

"Mai cooked it," James said, giving his girlfriend a wide smile. "Isn't she great?"

"She'll make a fine wife someday," Nate said. "Say, now that we're all fed, why not a pokemon battle?"

"Certainly!" Colbert pronounced. "I shall train my magikarp in hopes of evolution."

"Calm down there kid," the black belt said lightheartedly. "Let me get out my pokemon. We'll have a double match."

"I'll join in as well," Andrea said. "I, too wish my feebas to grow stronger."

"Alrighty then," Nate said, getting out two pokeballs. "Sawk! Throh! Come on out!"

"Feebas!"

"Magikarp!"

Soon, all parties were out. Nate started the battle off with a vicious seismic toss led by Throh, which Magikarp wasn't fast enough to evade. The poor fish was tossed into a nearby rock, where it passed out, unconscious.

In return, Andrea's Feebas let out a feeble ice beam, which Sawk endured before slamming the other fish pokemon with a karate chop. Feebas wobbled for a second, then collapsed, unconscious as well.

"Well there went that idea," Andrea sighed. "Alright, time to get serious. Foxx! Let's do this!" A shiny Delphox appeared, flames erupting from its ears.

"Drippy, let's go!" Colbert sent out his Goodra.

"Well well," Nate said. "Looks like y'all finally decided to get serious." He grinned.

Sawk rushed forward at Nate's command, a second karate shop aimed at Drippy. Drippy seemed to change form as it flung itself out of the way, slamming Sawk with a Dragon Tail in response.

Foxx let out a flamethrower that Throh seemed in no inclination to dodge. In the middle of the attack, Andrea called it off. "It's Bide!"

Back at the other side of the field, Sawk had already recovered from the dragon tail, striking back with a counter. Drippy was flung across the other side of the field, but quickly picked himself back up again.

"Drippy," Colbert called out. "Time to test out _that_ move. Draco Meteor!"

From the sky, comets rained down, carrying draconic power with them, crushing both Sawk and Throh, nearly hitting Foxx as well.

"Hey," Andrea called out. "What's the big idea? You nearly hit Foxx!"

"Sorry about that," Colbert said as Nate called both his pokemon to his pokeballs.

"That sure was an intense move, young man," Nate said. "I'll admit, I didn't see it coming."

"Thanks," Colbert said, high fiving his Goodra in victory. "We're still working on its accuracy, but Drippy's got the power down."

"Say," Nate said, "Why not let the young couple battle? You must have some exceptional pokemon as well."

"Sorry," James said, "My magnemite isn't fit for battle. Neither is Mai's Sewaddle."

"What about you two," Nate asked Kai and I. "You seem like you know what you're doing. I can feel it."

"Sorry," Kai said. "We don't actually have pokemon."

"You WHAT?" Nate was shocked. "How do you get around then?"

"I guess we're just lucky or very careful," I said. "Both I guess."

"Is that true," James asked. "You really don't have any pokemon?"

"It is," I said, ignoring the lump inside my backpack. "It's not really that big of a deal."

"Still…" In the end, James let us go, but Mai eyed us suspiciously before shrugging it off.

"You should probably find one," Mai said. "It's dangerous to go alone. Here, take this." She offered me a pokeball.

"Thanks." I accepted the capsule system gratefully. You never know when one will come in handy.

The rest of us made our way back to Nacrene Town without incident. Tomorrow, it was decided, would be the day we visit Wellspring Cave.


	6. Chapter 6

The Phantom Rebellion

Chapter Six

The morning following our adventure to Pinwheel Forest, the small apartment we had rented seemed to be in chaos. The lights were flickering, the coffee machine wouldn't work, and worst of all, Mai's hair dryer blew up while she was using it. She wasn't hurt, thankfully, but she swore vengeance on whatever force causing the current electric surges.

After a short call to the electric company, it was deduced that something was siphoning energy from the room. We split up in order to find the source.

It wasn't long until I found the culprit hiding inside one of the electric sockets. A tiny Joltik was buzzing with energy, its small body gorged on all the electricity it just fed on.

"Guys" I called out. "I found the problem."

"What is it," Mai shrieked, walking in the room. I had to suppress a smirk. While she may not have been hurt, her hair stood on end and was still smoking. "Where?"

"Here," I gestured to the electrical socket. "It's a joltik."

"That little…" Mai advanced menacingly.

"Easy," I said, "It's not like he meant to blow your hair dryer up." I extended my hand close to the socket. "Hey there little guy. Want to come out?"

The joltik looked up at me wide, trusting eyes, propelling itself to the center of my palm. At the sight of Mai's expression, it gave a squeak, hugging my thumb tightly.

"There, see? Nothing to worry about." I gently set the joltik down on the table. "Besides, it looks like he's full. That was quite a bit of electricity for such a small pokemon."

"Hey Saire," Andrea said. "Why don't you capture it? It likes you, I can tell."

"Yeah," Kai said, laughing. "That's because he's the closest to it in size. They probably understand each other that way."

I sighed. Of course my being small would be brought in question. Still, I couldn't just leave the joltik, who was looking at me expectantly.

"What do you say," I sasked it. "Want to be part of my team?" I pulled out pokeball, which appeared comically large compared to the small spider pokemon.

It gave another squeak, jumping at the pokeball, pressing the center button with its body. A red light swirled out, enveloping the small pokemon's body. The capsule shook once, twice, three times then was still.

"Welcome to the team," I said. "I'll name you Jolt."

"Congratulations," James said, patting me on the back. "You now have your first pokemon? Isn't that awesome? How do you feel?"

I shrugged in response, happy nevertheless to have another pokemon on the team. Jack wasn't the strongest of pokemon and now I could blend in with the others.

With the morning's bit of excitement over, we decided it was time to make our way to the nearby shops in Nacrene Town to resupply ourselves for Wellspring Cave, the next destination on the group's tour.

Much to my amusement, Kai seemed to avoid the shop named Anna's Wares. We found a roll of escape rope at discount price—hopefully it wasn't half off for a reason. That, plus a few hyper potions for Andrea and Colbert and we were good to go.

The road to Route 3 was filled with silence. For the rest of them, it was from nervous excitement. For Kai and I, it was full of nervous anxiety. Being on route 3 means being closer to Accumula Town, which meant being closer to danger.

Kai could feel it to. I could tell. We were both tense, being closer to the people in the Café. Who knew where they could be now? I gave Kai a tense look, which he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to return.

The entrance to the cave was a small opening in the side of a large, solitary rock overlooking Route 3. We took turns entering, as not all of us could to it at once. Inside, woobat swarmed high above us while roggenrola pretended to be stones.

"Cool place," James said casually. "Colbert, what do you know about it?"

"Well," Colbert said, predictably lost in another travel guide, "Apparently Wellspring Cave has been the site for many heroes and villains to meet alike. It was said that Team Plasma's leader met here in the past. Apparently those who visit are said to be messengers of great change."

"Maybe we're all great heroes then," Mai joked. "Has President Sirius ever visited here?"

"I don't know," Colbert said, flipping through the pages. "It doesn't say."

We followed a path lit by the occasional torch, illuminating what couldn't be seen with our flashlights. Unfortunately, Andrea shone her light a little too far up, earning the ire of an entire colony of woobats. They started chattering irritably, filling the cavern with their noise. One or two Swoobat then led a charge against our group, followed by a hundred or so woobat.

Andrea and Colbert immediately took charge of the situation. Sending out Foxx and Drippy, the two strongest pokemon in our collective party.

Drippy and Foxx let out a challenging roar, one that was cut short by about one hundred different 'attracts' spamming the ground around the two. Soon, they were spinning in lovesickness on the ground.

Andrea and Colbert cursed, calling back their pokemon. "James? Mai? A little help here?"

"Hey, don't look at us," they said as we ran from the horde. "What about you, Saire?"

"ME!?" I shouted, running as fast as my unfortunately short legs would allow. "Alright, but I don't know what'll happen."

I turned around, throwing out my newly acquired pokeball. "Jolt! Help us out!"

The tiny pokemon jumped up, hopping from woobat to woobat, using its small size to evade the many 'attracts' sent its way until all that was left was a swarming pile of lovestruck woobats. Finding the two Swoobat in the center, Jolt let out a surge of electricity, knocking the flying types unconscious.

"Way to go Jolt!" I cheered. "Who knew you could do that?"

"From the looks of it," Andrea said, "It was a thunderbolt. A powerful one."

Jolt hopped back into the palm of my hand, where I summoned it back into its pokeball after feeding it an oran berry in gratitude.

"I wouldn't use him again for a little while," Colbert advised. "Joltik don't make their own electricity. A thunderbolt of that size would drain him of all the electricity he drained back at our apartment."

"Alright," I agreed. Hopefully I wouldn't have to.

Having run so far down the cave, we were effectively lost. It wasn't until we hit the basement that we found any signs of human contact. Hours had passed since then, having found the discount escape ropes to be defective.

"Is that a trainer battle?" Colbert said excitedly as he saw flames lick the side of the cavern walls.

"I don't know…" Andrea said worriedly as she saw a dark pulse fly. "It looks a little too vicious for that."

We rounded the corner, where we saw the last thing I expected. An officer with a Mightyena was engaged in combat with a girl around my age using a Litwick.

"Ghost type!" James swore. "We'd best get out of the way. We can let the officer handle this."

"You go on ahead," Kai said, watching the battle with scrutiny. "Get help. We can help the officer. You said it yourself—you two are no fighters and Drippy and Foxx are useless right now."

"Be careful," Mai warned us. "Stay out of harm's way. Who knows what will happen?"

The others ran off, already pounding in the number for the police to come.

"That was lucky," Kai said, drawing out his pokeball from a hidden compartment in his jacket.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"You can't use Jolt," Kai said.

"I know," I said grimly. "Jack, let's do this."

The pumkaboo phased out of my backpack, a fierce scowl on its face.

We rounded the corner, where we saw the Officer Jenny still engaged in combat with the unnamed trainer's Litwick.

"Charla?" I gasped as I saw her face, partially obscured by thick glasses and unruly brown hair. The girl gasped, letting her concentration slip, allowing the Mightyena to use Bite on the Litwick, knocking it out.

"Saire?" She asked. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"No time," I said, ignoring the growls coming from the officer's Mightyena.

"So three traitors in one catch," the officer said. "You'll be just enough for a promotion. Mightyena—get them! Bite!"

The Mightyena launched itself at us, but Kai used his honedge to block it, letting go as the Mightyena retreated a few steps. "Slash," Kai commanded his honedge.

Shrapnel rushed forward, using its body as a sword, cutting into the thick fur of the dark wolf pokemon.

"Shadow Sneak," I told Jack. "While he's dazed!" Jack rushed forward, bathed in shadows as he slammed into the Mightyena."

"Chimecho," Charla called out. "Use hypnosis on them both."

The chimecho turned to the officer and the weakened Houndoom, letting out a psychic lullaby that induced the both of them to sleep.

"Now Dream Eater," she told the Chimecho. "Erase any memories of any of us."

As the chimecho obliged, she turned to give me a hug.

"Oh Saire, I thought you had been captured." She tussled my hair. "Still short as ever, huh?"

"Who's this," Kai asked, utterly perplexed. "How does she know you?"

"This is Charla," I explained. "She's an old childhood friend of mine with a fondness for pokemon that look like inanimate objects. "I thought she had been captured by now."

"Same here," she said. "I'm on official business though."

"Business?" Kai asked. "From who?"

"I've joined the Phantom Rebellion," Charla explained. "I'm here to cut off the couriers giving the lists of trainers having been reported with ghost types. What about you? Where have you been all this time? We could have used you, you know." Her voice took on an accusing edge as she spoke.

"You know how it is after they burnt down the farm," I said. "Jack and I have been on the run ever since."

"Why not join us," she asked eagerly. "I could put in a word for you. Renegade's always looking for more recruits."

"I-I'm not so sure about that," I said hesitantly. "I don't know if can do that."

"Why not?" Charla's eyebrows knitted together in anger. "You have just as much reason as I do to fight—more even. How can you excuse just running away?"

"Easy," I said, calling Jack back to me. "It's the option that doesn't get Jack or myself killed."

"Coward." Charla gave me a contemptuous glare. "What about you?" she asked Kai.

"I don't know either," Kai said. "Maybe someday, just not now. Besides, I have to make sure Saire stays out of trouble."

"Fine." Charla seemed deflated from her earlier outburst. "Well you two stay safe. I suppose that's what you're best at." She shook her head. "No, that was wrong of me. If I were you, I'd stay clear of those people you're hanging out with. One of them is the governor's daughter. Who knows what she could do to you if you were found out?"

"I'll keep that in mind, Charla. Thanks"

"Thank you," she said. "If you hadn't arrived in time, that Mightyena might have made mincemeat out of us."

"Anytime," Kai said. "Come on," he beckoned to me. "We'd best hurry back before they get suspicious."

It was decided that we tell the story from two hapless passerby, unable to do anything but watch as the rogue ghost user wiped the memory of the officer. We were flagged down at the scene, but were let go after a few quick questions.

"There you are!" James called out to us. "We've been worried sick."

"We're fine," Kai said shakily. "It's the officer you should be worrying about."

"That bitch" Mai cursed. "If only I had been there, I would have…"

"Honey," James said. "Calm down. It's not like you could have done any more than Saire or Kai. We're lovers, not fighters."

"I guess you're right," she said, giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "Come on you two, we'd best get out of here before they close off the route."

We ended the day at the small apartment, packing up for the next day's journey. Soon, we would be on our way to Skyarrow Bridge, and by extension, Castelia City. Kai and I talked in secret that night. We decided that once inside Castelia, we would make try to make new lives out of ourselves.

That was the plan. How easy it was for it to fall apart.


	7. Chapter 7

The Phantom Rebellion

Chapter Seven

The preparations to move on to Castelia City were already under way. After the confrontation in the cave, the others had asked us a hundred different questions, mostly about what Charla looked like. We didn't give anything away; we blamed most our forgetfulness on the trauma of the experience, stating we were lucky to have gotten out of there without having our own memories wiped. It was enough for Kai and I to seek temporary refuge in the outskirts of Nacrene City, away from the others while they finished packing.

What we said was forgotten was something you couldn't just forget, though. We attacked an officer. Knowingly or not, we assisted the Phantom Rebellion, something I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about. On one hand, I helped my childhood friend escape. On the other…

The Phantom Rebellion was known for making vicious attacks of its own. Whenever President Sirius ordered a sweep of a ghost harboring settlement, a force would be dispatched to counter that in equal measures of cruelty. It was a difficult equation, a balance of atrocities that kept the other side hesitant to make a move.

I supposed it was the only way for the Rebellion to survive. Honorable tactics were only available when the tides of war were unbiased and fair. With the might of the World Government on his side, President Sirius had every means of suppressing them through legal means. Still, the things the Phantom Rebellion had been known to do made me wonder if people like Mai were justified in their hatred of the rebels that caused such unrest within the world. It was a moral quandary, one that constantly tugged at the corners of my mind.

Kai had no such problem with it all. He would feel happy to have thwarted the Police. He wouldn't understand why I felt so conflicted. I sighed. If only my parents were still here. They would know what to say.

It was still a sore wound, the death of my family. We were a small family of four, including my sister, Sara. Jack could be included too, I guess. I would never forget the day they left me forever. I was only nine at the time.

The first thing I could remember was the smoke. We always kept a small fire going, but this was different. Thick, black smoke filled my room as I heard the screaming. It was something we had always feared, ever since we refused to give up the pumkaboo our farm was famous for. For some reason, we never thought they would come.

My mother was the one to warn us both. We shared a room then, my little sister and I. She told us to go. She was crying. Back then, I didn't understand why. I do now. The harsh shouting of my father had come to an end.

She told us to get away. She handed me the pumkaboo I was given to be my partner for my sixth birthday, telling us to get away as far as we could. Sara didn't want to leave. She hung by my mother's side. She wouldn't let go. Mom told me to run, that they would be safe. The last thing I saw before I made my escape was the farm in flames.

I should have stayed. Tears came running down my face as I recalled their faces. What if I had stayed? Would they still be alive then?

"Hey." Kai put his hand on my shoulder. "It wasn't your fault."

"I should have stayed," I sobbed. "I should have fought."

"You were nine years old," Kai said gently. "You would have died along with them. You had to run. If you didn't, Jack wouldn't be here today."

"I know," I said, wiping the tears away. "I just can't help but feel responsible."

"Survivor's guilt," Kai said. "It's only natural, even if it doesn't make much sense. The ones who burned down your farm are the ones who should pay."

I was quiet for a little while. Kai left me alone to my thoughts, sensing I needed some time to think. I hugged my backpack close to my chest, wondering if Jack ever felt the same about the siblings he lost that day.

About an hour passed before Kai approached me again. "We should get moving. The others are probably waiting for us by now."

I nodded, splashing some water over my face to hide the fact that I had been crying. "Alright."

We walked over to the center of Nacrene Town, where the rest of the group was waiting.

"There you are," James said. "We've been looking for you two."

"Sorry about that," Kai said. "We got lost."

James shrugged, tossing us each a sack filled with various goods. "Those will last you two until we get to Castelia. It's full of dried berries and other essentials."

"Thanks," I said gratefully, stowing it away in an unused compartment in my backpack.

"No problem."

The others already had their rations, so we set off for Skyarrow Bridge. It was a nice walk to the entrance to the ticket booth, where people passed through to cross the enormous bridge.

"Step this way please," a droning voice called out, stamping a seal of approval on the latest visitor. It belonged to a slightly overweight man appearing to be in his mid-forties.

"State your purpose."

"We wish to enter Castelia City," James said purposefully.

The man checked a sheet hidden to our vantage point, then let him pass.

This method continued for the rest of the group until they reached Kai. For some reason, the man's expression changed as he checked the unknown paper, reaching for a button on the desk. At once, the sound of alarms filled the room, officers pouring out the sides of the rooms.

"We've been found out," Kai said grimly, taking out his pokeball. "That was a sketch of us both."

"Saire! Kai!" Andrea and Colbert cried out. "What's going on?"

Kai summoned forth his honedge, Shrapnel. I sent out Jolt, who perched on my shoulder, ready to fire off arcs of electricity. "This is what's going on," he said grimly. "Let us pass."

"No way." Mai stood in front of them, arms crossed, a look of ugly hatred marring her beautiful features. "Right James?"

James followed suit, if hesitantly. "Sure thing love," he said, voice quavering.

There was a cracking sound as Andrea and Colbert hit both their friends on the heads with a rocky helmet each. They looked stunned, as if they didn't know what they had just done.

"You'd best hurry," Colbert said.

"Why?" I asked.

"We've come to see you as friends," Andrea said, her Foxx staving off the crowd of police members. "We won't let them take you… not even for this. Now hurry! We can't hold them off forever."

"We won't forget this," Kai promised. "Thank you."

Kai and I sped across the Skyarrow Bridge, never letting up the pace, even though our muscles screamed for release. It wasn't until we saw the first flashing lights of Castelia City that we slowed down. Sirens blared in the distance, and would soon be here.

The city was a monster of floodlights and advertisements. In any other situation, we would have stayed, would have explored the vastness of Unova's largest city.

"We have to find somewhere to hide," I gasped, clutching my sides. "We can't stay here."

Kai slumped against the side of the building, a string of curses spilling from his mouth. "Of course they would have sketches of us. Was a little peace too much to ask?" he shouted at the sky, drawing even more attention to ourselves.

"Where?" Kai said. "Posters will be everywhere by dinner."

"Underground," I said grimly. "A city as big as this one's got to have a sewer system. We have to find it."

We chased after a "You are Here" sign, flagging down Castelia Sewers, making a bolt for the nearest opening, a place near the farthest right harbor.

A group of hooligans crowded near the entrance, a cavernous slit cut into the side of the harbor. The air was full of their smoke and cussing. Kai approached them with an aura of purpose.

"Step aside gentlemen," he said. "Would you mind stepping out of the way? My friend and I need to pass through."

They gave him a once over. "Coupl'a no good country folk got no business down in the sewers," one said. He was the biggest, ugliest, and smelliest of the lot, so I supposed that made him leader by default. "What'choo want?"

"Don't make me ask again." Kai summoned Shrapnel from his pokeball, pointing it straight at them. "Move. Now."

"Alright, alright," their leader said, arms in the air, cursing us "worthless spooks."

Inside, the city was a reflection of everything it wanted to hide from the public eye. Addicts, gangs, and prostitution all found a place in the dank floors of the sewers. Not one of them, however, was willing to stare down the pointy end of Shrapnel as Kai led the way through the mire of people.

We endured all sorts of jeers, curses, and whatever could be thrown at us as we walked past the unscrupulous crowd. Luckily, we knew where we were going. During the time spent with the group, Colbert would often mention the Relic Passage connecting itself through Driftveil City all the way to Castelia.

It was this passage that we looked for now. Beyond the filth permeating every inch of the sewers existed a place where we could run without being seen, above and below the gaze of the public eye.

We found it after the third dead end, carefully passing a group of people giving us calculating looks. It was unremarkable in nature, just an opening to the side of the concrete sewers, but we celebrated as we crawled inside.

Waters ran freely, pooling in at certain areas of the Relic Passage. We avoided most these places, fearing an encounter with wild water type pokemon out of our element. Only the occasional hiker visited these halls, likely loners who wouldn't be alerting those topside to our presence anyway.

Despite the tunnels giving no inclination as to what time of day it was, we decided that it must be nightfall by now. We had fueled our trip on fear and adrenaline alone, and now it was time to rest. We found a small secluded room hidden from most the passages through a thin covering of earth that Kai happened to stumble through.

The room was richly decorated in hieroglyphs, records of a time before 8any such World Government. Before Sirius. As I traced some of the symbols, I wondered if we wouldn't have had to run in such a time. Things weren't perfect, I knew, but I knew they, at least, wouldn't have sanctioned the genocide of an entire type.

"Get some sleep," Kai said as we rolled out our sleeping bags. "I'll take first watch."

I was too tired to object. As soon as I slipped into the covers and fed Jack, I was fast asleep, the tiny pumpkaboo held tight to my chest.

What seemed like an instant later, I was woken up by Kai. I bolted upright, noticing with some terror that Jack was missing.

"It's alright," Kai said, motioning to the opposite end of the room, where Jack was playing with a group of Yamask.

"What happened?"

"They must have sensed Jack," Kai said. "They came in about three hours after you fell asleep. Shrapnel's having fun, too."

I could see Kai's honedge making friends as well. The yamask danced with the two of them, apparently lost in the chatter of pokemon language.

A coffin nearby grew eyes and hands, floating towards us. The Cofragius stared us down for what seemed like a lifetime, as if judging us responsible for their persecution. We must have passed its test, because it nodded ever so slightly, leading the group of yamask on to the next room.

It may have been just a feeling, but I felt the Cofragius's blessing. For whatever reason, we both felt our journey through the Relic Passage would be a safe one.


End file.
